Resurgere
by TheConspiracyTheory
Summary: Post-story; After the crystallisation of Cocoon, mankind found home on Gran Pulse, however Lightning hadn't found happiness and was unwilling to face it. But the fal'Cies were kinder than she thought them to be, but with a price.
1. I: Yesterday's Morrow

**Resurgere**

**Part I #01 Yesterday's Morrow**

Lighting Farron was a simple woman. Out of everything in the world, there were only two things she cared about, Serah and her job. There was nothing more to that. As part of the Guardian Corps her primary aims was to protect civilians from monsters. Simple really, there was not much to it at all. However everything changed when the fal'Cie wormed their way into her simple life and as she began to accept everything, surprises kept coming at her and at the final battle before the crystallisation of Cocoon, she found an inner strength for her comrades, yet then Vanille and Fang decided to save Cocoon and she had lost part of the strength she had gained that day.

Humans had been teleported to Gran Pulse, the remaining ones that hadn't been killed in the disputes between Cocoon and Pulse. The collateral damage had been high and so had the amount of dead military personnel. However over the months they had made home in Oerba and the village was expanded and accommodated the survivors.

The majority of the Calvary were gone, parts of PSICOM and the Guardian Corps. The remaining trained fighters were low and Pulse being a fight to survive place, they had an important role in protecting the surviving civilians. The housings in Oerba were made hospitable again, with the monsters killed and the houses cleaned out.

The tales of the l'Cie and fal'Cie were rewritten and the fear of Pulse was eradicated after the people had seen the beauty of Pulse with their own eyes. The former l'Cies were treated with reverence and it soon became a pain to them.

Snow and Serah got married and Lightning had a small smile all the way through even though she still didn't like Snow she had accepted him and he wasn't that bad. It was a small ceremony, there weren't many people, they had found a priest and the only people that were invited was Sazh, Dajh Hope, Hope's father Bartholomew, the NORA gang and the now General of the army, Rygdea. There had been a power vacuum and already being the commanding officer of the Calvary meant indirect control of the Guardian Corps and with Jihl Nabaat and Yaag Rosch gone and him being the only entirely capable man of taking charge of PSICOM, he was given the job.

But even with all the smiles and tears that day, Lightning for once didn't feel fulfilment like she had every day in the past. She just felt an empty void that couldn't be refilled.

People had stepped up with organising the populace and a few more months Pulse was a habitable place. Oerba had grown even bigger and when a year had passed since Cocoon had crystallised all the former l'Cie had disappeared from Oerba with a few native flower bouquets dressed in black.

It was like a giant gravestone marker for Vanille and Fang for all they had done for Pulse and Cocoon. Words were exchanged and peace was made. One year since everything ended, the time and space of one year, Lightning witnessed the greatest changes and a new hope flit around the populace, in fact everyone seemed happy, everyone except her.

Lighting wasn't a talker, if she had something worrying her she didn't say it, if she had a problem she would keep quiet and mull over it.

It really wasn't meant to escalate further than a one-night stand, yet it did and the time she spent on the _Lindblum_ she kept seeing _him_. And then when _he _appeared again with the vow to stop them, she destroyed _him_. However they were too busy trying to save Cocoon that she didn't have time to worry. And then when they returned from Gran Pulse she saw _him_ again and the sheer shock got to her, but it wasn't the man she once knew. It was much, much later that she learnt that _he _was controlled by the fal'Cie and Rygdea shot _him_ in freeing him. And now that everything had quietened down Lighting began to worry again.

Cid Raines, it was probably the only man she every loved and would love, yet she wasn't ready to express that yet, her emotions were still mixed up. Her sister was the only one that saw through and she insisted for Lightning to tell her the problem.

If there was one person Lighting would tell her heart's secrets to it would be Serah.

And so the secrets were spilled and even then Lightning knew; nothing could be done, the dead was dead and the dead stayed dead.


	2. I: Dreams

**Resurgere**

**Part I #02- Dreams**

She didn't mourn, nor show her hidden emotions. It was the dream that haunted her so many nights before the final battle, the dream of Cid fighting them and then disappearing, yet in her dreams it was different, more exaggerated, more paranormal. It was last time she ever saw him as him again, the next time in the Grand Prix Circuit he was no longer the Cid Raines she had found an attachment to. Yet ever since coming to Pulse since the crystallization of Cocoon, the end of the Cocoon fal'Cie era, the dreams began to change.

It started out simple, she met him in her dreams and there, it seemed far too real, they talked of nothing and everything, and by the end of the first week of dreams he had kissed her chastely and things escalated slowly from there. Neither were good at emotions, nor Lightning, nor Cid, yet they felt a mutual bond (even though it was Lightning's dreams, there was something more too it, than just a memory and imagination, it was almost as if the general was real). Of course, the dead didn't come back to life.

They didn't meet every night, more than often Lightning didn't see him in her dreams. She knew she had to tell someone but it was her secret and far too embarrassing for even Serah to know. To be pinning after a dead man was ridiculous, yet she did, and the illusion of her dreams was real enough.

One year on, Lightning still dreamt of Cid and her sister, more than often tried to set her up with another man. After all she was pretty and unlike most women could fight, Serah couldn't see why she refused every one of them and why she allowed her youth to be slowly wasted away.

When she told Serah parts of the full story, Serah stopped matchmaking and knew that her sister wasn't stupid enough to follow after an impossible dream and eventually come around.

* * *

Lightning's dreams had always been amazingly vivid, unlike other people. It was one night when she lay down someone new visited her; there was no Cid but instead it was the fal'Cie, Barthandeleus.

He made an offer.

It was an offer she couldn't turn down, it was an impossible wish she knew could never granted. Those once l'Cie, could be revived by their fal'Cie, but only when an equal price is paid. It was a dream come true for Lightning. As great as her contempt for the fal'Cie, she knew that even through the weaving of his words and carefully laid traps, he didn't lie and she knew that.

"By dawn of ten days fold, his soul will return to the world of the living free from the puppet strings, but only when by nightfall of seven days fold, you accept the fate you were once given to saunter."

She knew she was being a fool, yet love made even the smartest of men blind. She was imprudent, yet she agreed and by the night seven days from now her decision was to be made, but she knew that when Barthandeleus came again, nothing would change her mind.

* * *

Serah knew she wasn't meant to be hovering near her sister's room and listening to her fitful sleep and what she heard startled her. Most of it didn't make sense to Serah, but the utter of the word 'Barthandeleus' immediately triggered something within her. Barthandeleus; the Cocoon fal'Cie that wished for them to call upon Ragnarok.

Returning to the room she shared with Snow, she tried to go back to sleep, maybe it was only a dream, nothing more, hopefully it was nothing more. Snuggling up to her husband she fell into a dreamless sleep.

When morning came around and Serah awoke, she had forgotten last night's events like a dream, yet Lightning remembered her dream unlike her sister.

The day went on as usual; Lightning was in the batch of MP's that were skilled enough to be a commander. There was still no proper army and all they ever really did was hunt missions. Rygdea did some organization but the place was still too messed up for anything more sophisticated.

The left Oerba by late morning and returned by late afternoon with two creature carcasses. Although the agriculture had been going good; there was a large farm on the outskirts that not only provided food, but also had chocobos and Gran Pulse sheep. The soil seemed to be nourished and alive, the crops grew well and whatever doom had fell upon Pulse last time, it had recovered. Wildflowers were growing around the place and the barren white landscape was once again colourful.

Like the way Vanille described it.

Vanille, the light hearted and morale booster, she seemed always so bright and happy. Perhaps that happiness could be spread around too.

* * *

There was one thing that wasn't known to the current mankind, perhaps in the past Pulsians had figured it out, but as of now, not one person knew. You could kill a fal'Cie again and again, yet the only thing that would annihilate its existence is the Maker. Some fal'Cie wanted the return of the Maker, others didn't.


	3. I: Blood Pact

**Resurgere **

Part I #03- Blood Pact

The days had come and gone and the seventh night since her meeting with Barthandeleus had come and Lighting had disappeared.

It was Serah who noticed this first and asked around if anyone had seen her. When all her answers were negative, she sought out Snow only to be given the same answer. They searched her room, to find her shoulder guard and cape lying on her bed, but no Lightning in sight. It was when they walked past Hope and he told them he saw her heading in the direction of Taejin's Tower that their curiosity grew. Lightning was never the type to do unexplained things, and unless there was something that they were missing out on.

"Hey, hey, hey, what's going on?" asked Sazh as he saw the three running down the streets of Oerba.

"Chasing after Light," answered Snow smoothly.

"Hey, wait, I'm coming too," shouted Sazh and raced after the group.

* * *

Lightning walked slowly, there was no rush, although adrenaline was rushing through her, there was no rush at all. She continued at the slow pace following the owl-like creature flying a few feet in front of her.

She had seen the bird as she returned home that day and recognised it as Barthandeleus'. Following the bird had led her to the roof of Taejin's Tower. The place brought back memories, the battle with the fal'Cie. All Lightning could hope that it wouldn't turn to be another, after all that bird wasn't a good omen and by herself against a fal'Cie, impossible.

"So you have come," came the voice she had heard too many times and despised.

"Barthandeleus," she said turning around to see the fal'Cie in human form floating a few inches off the ground.

"Have you made your decision?"

Lightning paused, about to say yes, but something stopped her. Perhaps it was an innate fear that had followed her since the days of the Purge. Yet she paused a second too long, because a second later the former l'Cie's crashed the party.

"Light!" shouted Serah in relief seeing that her boneheaded sister hadn't done anything stupid.

The other three however saw the situation differently. To see Barthndeleus alive was a shock after all they had killed the fal'Cie so many times that it was ridiculous.

"So what is your decision," asked the fal'Cie ignoring the newcomers.

"Yes, I accept the terms as long as you keep your end," answered Lightning.

"Good choice," said Barthandeleus and disappeared in a bright light.

"What the hell was that?" half-shouted Sazh as Lightning turned around to walk back.

"None of your business," answered Lightning coldly.

"Hey, wait, I asked a question, hey," continued Sazh.

"I want to know too," said Hope softly, "What was Barthandeleus doing here, alive?"

"It doesn't concern you," said Lightning continuing to walk ignoring those that chased after her.

"Oi, wai—"

"It's no use," interjected Serah, grabbing Snow's arm, "When Light doesn't want to tell someone something, she'll keep quiet, but she'll come to her own terms, at least she always has... before."

"Alright we'll give her the benefit of the doubt and wait."

* * *

"_Lightning, huh? Snow told me about you, his to be sister. I'm sorry," said Cid as the rest of the group that was rescued in Palumpolum had left._

"_There's nothing to apologise for," answered Lightning._

"_And why's that? Snow seemed to comment that you were rather stubborn."_

"_It's none of your business," said Lightning coldly._

"_Then instead, let me show you something."_

_That immediately spiked her interest, leading her to follow the general down the hallways of the Lindblum. They took sharp turns and climbed up and down stairs, until Lightning was sure she was lost. Finally arriving at a locked door, Cid pulled out a key from his many layers of clothing and unlocked it._

"_After you."_

_Lightning took a step into the room, tensing, for all she knew it could be a trap. The amount of trust she was willing to put into the man was almost zero. It was dark, but then the lights switched on and the first thing she noticed was the crystal encased in the middle of the room._

"_Serah!"_

_She ran over, touching the crystal ever so gently and as she did she tried to hold back the tears that threatened to fall._

"_We'll bring her back," promised Cid walking over._

_In that single moment, the smooth tenor of the general's voice and his reassurance broke the dam that Lightning had spent far too much energy on in keeping up. Her tears fell and as they did she brushed them away. Her head was bowed and turned away, as if hiding in shame._

_Cid was unsure of what to do in a presence of a crying female and moved one hand out and placed it on Lightning's shoulder. Lightning felt it, but didn't react, it was a comforting weight. They stayed like that until Lightning's tears ran dry. His hand on her shoulder had moved to her arm and was rubbing small circles._

_They say in silence merely enjoying each other's presence for a while before the silence was broken._

"_Snow also told me that you real name wasn't Lightning."_

"_Hah," sighed Lightning, "He told you that too?"_

"_Tell me," pressed Cid._

"_Everyone knows me as Lightning, some people call me Light, but as a child my parents named me... Claire," answered Lightning after the longest time, "I thought that by changing my name when my parents died I could change myself and be a stronger person, turns out that I was wrong," she finished dryly._

"_Everybody's just human," said Cid softly._

_

* * *

_

Lightning remembered their first meeting, yes, after all they were only human and humans had emotions that made them do absurd things. Bringing Cid back, was an absurd thing too, but as the saying went, love makes you blind, love also made you do stupid things, even unadmitted love.


	4. I: The Awakening

**Resurgere**

**Part I #04-The Awakening**

Anima was spat back to Pulse the day that Cocoon met its grand end, like the way it had ended up on Cocoon. Anima was the fal'Cie that began it all and it was going to begin a new era. It was going to call upon its l'Cie and to create Ragnarok again, this time to call the Maker and eradicate this world.

* * *

Since her little escapade, Lightning remained locked in her room. Serah had left food outside her door, but it remained untouched. On the third day however the window was left open, the curtains billowed in and she was gone.

Silent and nimble Lightning took off in the darkness, the owl-like creature guiding her through the Pulsian terrain. Then she noticed the bioluminescence and the cave like structures.

"Sulyya springs," she whispered, the place was different at night with the moonlight seeping in, it gave an enigmatic glow.

Then Barthandelus appeared, in all his glory.

"You have come, warrior, thus I will give what you've come for," he gestured to the water, which began to rise like a mountain, a glowing orb. Then the water fell away and Lightning's legs gave out. Tears fell endlessly from her eyes, all that she was holding back, and all the happiness she could feel, burst out.

"Cid."

The orb floated over and landed gently on her lap, the body of the man she loved, caressing his forehead Lightning smiled. Then he coughed and his eyes slowly opened.

"Where am I? I thought I died…"

"You were given a second chance," said Lightning grinning like a fool.

"Lightning, no, Claire," said Cid, his hand reaching up to touch Lightning's face.

Cid's eyes closed again, and his arm fell away, his breathing steadying, Lightning snapped up to Barthandelus standing in front of them.

"Do not worry, he is merely asleep," he said, "Now will you keep up your end of the offer?"

Lightning nodded.

"Very well, then let me tell you a story while we return to the village."

Barthandelus materialised a sheet and covered Cid in it before levitating him.

"Let us go."

They walked side by side in the darkness back to the village and Barthandelus began to talk.

"After you defeated Orphan we became one, after long talks with myself, Orphan has agreed to what is to be done. Anima has reawaken and wishes to call upon Ragnarok again. I am not the villain this time, I have nothing more to gain and nothing more to lose, but I admire your courage, your resilience and that is why I have called you and my greatest l'Cie, to defeat Anima, and save this world."

"The Maker will never come, and Orphan binds me to this world, until it is safe I cannot return to the Maker, help me to help yourself."

In a surprisingly short time they were at the village again. Lightning looked up slowly.

"Alright, but if this is any of your tricks I won't hesitate to wipe you off the face of Pulse."

"Of course, and here, your gift," said Barthandelus levitating Cid towards her. "I will come again when I beseech, be prepared, darkness will come. 10 days, my warrior."

Her chest began to glow, the same place where once her l'Cie mark lay. She noticed Cid's cest glowing as well. Fumbling she pulled down her shirt, and surely there it was, different to the previous but there, the mark of the l'Cie.

"And I return Odin to you," said Barthandelus before disappearing, a crystal rose falling in his wake, catching it Lightning held it to her chest.

"Odin."

Pocketing it, she lifted Cid up, in an almost attempt to piggy back him, although he was too tall and as quickly as she could she made her way back to her house, as the sun began rise. Quietly as she could she lifted Cid into her bed and sat beside him, like a lovesick girl.

Shaking her head and laughing at her stupidity and foolishness and the mess she had gotten herself into, she just couldn't help but laugh, smile, feel like there was nothing that could stand in the way. For once she felt free and alive, for how long she hadn't she could no longer remember, it seemed like all a dream now.

A dream she could live in forever.

* * *

Who isn't excited for FFXIII-2?


	5. I: Interlude A Moment

**Resurgere**

**Part I: Interlude-A Moment**

Serah stared at her sister's door, it had been locked since she had returned from her little escapade. When Serah had caught her sneaking food up to her room, Lightning merely smiled and mentioned a short note about hunger before disappearing into her room, smiling. The day Light smiled like that, feared Serah was the day the world was doomed.

Staring at her sister's door she raised her hand to knock, but then she heard a man's voice, although muffled and barely discernable she pressed her ear against the wall.

"—all you've done, sacrificed, thank you."

"It was for me as much as it is for you," said her sister.

The man laughed and Light joined in, the gentle chorus unheard of.

Sighing stuck between the choice of knocking and interrupting, but sating her curiosity or leaving and remaining curious, then she heard the front door close, her speculations could wait, right now Snow had returned and that mattered a bit more than a stranger man.

* * *

Lightning cold exterior shattered, her paramour was back and the world around them seemed to float away, disappear into the distance. She couldn't help it, it was like cloud nine.

"Claire," whispered Cid as he leaned forward, cupping her face bringing it closer until their noses met and the heavy air between them mingled. Then he tilted his head and leaned forward.

And their lips met.

Once, twice, Lightning lost count as their mouths melded together. Everything lay forgotten, just for that moment of happiness, nothing mattered, not even the battle that was soon to happen.


End file.
